To mark International Women's Day (March 8, 2015), Women for Positive Action has launched a practical and informative new educational tool entitled 'Hepatitis and coinfection in women living with HIV'.
Led by a global, multidisciplinary group of experts, Women for Positive
Action is committed to addressing the specific concerns of women living
with HIV. This new tool (download here) offers empowering information to coinfected women and practical guidance to those involved in their care.

In
coinfected individuals immunosuppression exerts deleterious effects by
greatly accelerating the occurrence of cirrhosis and liver cancer.[1]
The complexity of treatment, the double stigma of coinfection and the
perceived risk of side effects are all known to adversely affect the
emotional wellbeing of patients,[2] and this can be compounded in many women struggling to balance work and family commitments.

"I havebeenstruggling
with HIV for years and when I finally got stabilised on HAART, I feared
I would die from my liver because of hepatitis C. I failed HCV
treatment two times and had to cope with unbearable side effects. Right
when I was desperatethatI would die from cirrhosis, I got curedthanks to the new HCV drugs -it was like being born a second time." A woman recently cured from HCV.

The
HCV landscape has changed dramatically in recent years with the
availability of treatments that cure a large proportion of patients[3];
but too often women from high risk groups are left behind. This
tailored educational tool will help support those caring for coinfected
women to provide practical guidance and respond to their needs on
aspects such as treatment, emotional wellbeing, access to care and
pregnancy planning. This tool also aims to raise awareness of women and
their inclusion in research and access to care in this new era of HCV
treatments.

Women
for Positive Action is committed to exploring and addressing the
challenges faced by women living with HIV and those involved in their
care. For more information visit the website, http://www.womenforpositiveaction.org and keep up to date with activities through Twitter @WFPA_HIV.

Notes to Editor

130-150
million people globally have chronic HCV infection and up to 500,000
people die each year from HCV-related liver diseases.[4] Five million individuals are estimated to have HIV/HCV coinfection[4] so approximately 25-30% of those with HIV are coinfected with HCV.[5] Coinfection affects a large proportion of women living with HIV.[6] HCV is a rapidly evolving treatment area with a number of new therapies now available.

Visit http://www.womenforpositiveaction.org
for information about ongoing projects. Women for Positive Action is an
educational program funded by AbbVie. All content is independently
generated by the Women for Positive Action faculty experts reflecting
their knowledge and opinions.